Improvement in endless-wire-rope ways



A. S. HALLIDIE.

ENDLESS WIRE ROPBWAY.

No. 110,971. Patented Jan. 17, 1871.

FICE.

ANDREW SMITH HALLIDIE, OF SAN F tANOISUO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ENDLESS-WlRE-ROPE WAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 110,97h, dated January 17, 1871.

. reference being bad to the accompanying draw- My invention relates to an improved method oli obtaining power from weights carried in buckets, sacks, or cars attached to an endless wire-rope moving over or around sheaves orpulleys, and to the transportation of ores or other materials in said buckets, sacks, or cars.

In endless wire-rope ways or wire tramways, as they are sometimes called, hitherto coustructed,ithas been necessary to dctachthe cars or buckets from the rope before passing the end pulleys, because no suitable hanger or attaclnnent has been known or used that could pass the end pulleys without dilliculty.

Another difliculty that has been hitherto considered as perhaps insurmountable has arisen from the tendency of the well-known wave motion that is frequently communicated to the rope to throw said rope out of the groove in the bearing-pulleys.

The object oi. my invention is, first, to provide a hanger or device for carrying the suspension-rods that can remain permanently attached to the rope,- and will readily and without dillhmlty pass all the pulleys around or over which the rope may lead, and admit of the plat-ingot apullcy or other guard over the bcaririg-sheaves, to prevent the escape-of the rope from the groove of said bearingsheaves.

The second object of my invention is to pro vide an improved method or system of constructing and opcrati n g the cars, buckets, and other apparatus to be used in the connection with my improved hanger; and

My invention consists, first, of permanently attaching the suspension-rods to the rope by ineans of a hanger consisting of a horizontal arm permanently.secured to the upper and outer quartet-of a rope, in a manner hereinafter more fully dcserilmd.

The second part of my invention consists of the employment, in connectiolrwith a hanger permanently attached to the rope, ofan auto' matic dump-ear, as hereinafter described.

The third part of my invention consists of providing the car, suspension-rods, and hangers with joints, as hereinafterdescribed, for the purpose of enabling the car to pass an glcs, curves, or inclines without diiiiculty.

1n the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of the hanger; Fig. 2, a plan of the same; Fig. 3, an end elevation of a car,

suspension-rods, hanger, and bearing-pulley; Fig. 4', a side elevation of same car and rods; Fig. 5, a plan of said car; Fig. 6, details of same. Figs. 7,8, and 9 represent a circular car, similar in its operation and principle of construction to the above. Figs. 10 and 11 represent a car that may be attached and dctached automatically. Figs. 12 and 13 represent the genc'al arrangement of the endless wire-rope way. Figs. 14 and 15 show the arrangement ofthe bearing-pulleys and a hooked suspension-rod, to which buckets or sacks may be suspended.

Each part is distinguished by-thc same lottcr wherever it appears in the drawing.

The end pulleys, A, will usually revolve on vertical or nearly vertical axes, and may be simply grooved in the ordinary manner, or may be of that class known as gripe-pulleys or clip-pulleys.

Along the line, at suitable distances from each other and from the end pulleys, are placed well-braced posts 1;, having transverse arms 0 securely fixed to their tops.

To the transverse arms U- the sheaves or bearing-pulleys 1) are attached, overhanging the arms 0, as shown in Figs. 12, 13, and 14, and free to revolve on their axes.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 that the depth of the groove in the sheaves 1) should be about half the diameter of theropc, and that the radius of said groove should be equal to halt the diameter of the rope, increased by the thickness of that part of the hanger-1' snrroumling the lower part of the rope.

The axis ot'cach sheave or pulley should always be perpendicular to the plane in which the rope approaches and recedes from the sheave or pulley. \Vhcn the line is straight all the bearing-sheaves on either side of the way will he in the. same vertical plane; but when an angle occurs in the line the sheaves must be inclined to correspond to the rule above given. A guard of some kind should be placed over each bearingpulley to prevent the escape of the rope from the groove of said pulley.

In Fig. 3 a pulley, l), of a suitable form for this purpose, is shown.

F is the rope. The lines F represent the rope in Figs. 12 and 13.

It is evident that any brakes or any apparatus or gearing required for communicating or transmitting power may be attached to either of the end pulleys, A, or to their axles.

The hangers E are permanently attached to the rope at suitable distances.

The hangcrsE consist, essentially, of an arm, G, and its fastcnings, the arm Gr being always retained in a horizontal position by the weight of the car or suspension-rods, or both, andsecured to the rope in such a manner that its upper surface shall be on a tangent, or nearlyou a tangent, to the upper part of the circumference of the rope, and its lower surface horizontal, or nearly so, while its vertical thickness is only sutficient to secure the required strength and stiffness, and said thickness should never exceed onehalf the diameter of the rope. The fastenings of the hanger by which the arm is secured to the rope should increase the diameter of the rope as little as possible. A hanger-constructed and secured to the rope in this manner will pass readily over the bearing-pulleys and around the end pulleys.

The arm (lr, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is formed in one piece with the band. H. To place this hanger the band may be heated, or may be made of steel and so thin as not to require heatingyand bent around the rope and secured by rivets, as shown.

The rivet-holes may be made'in the shop with the aid of a gage or mandrel, so that when made to coincide by means of a key driven through the keyway I, the rope will be so tightly compressed as to prevent the hanger from slipping along the rope.

The arm G may be scured to the rope by thin steel clasps passing through between the strands of the rope and turned back and clinched. The suspension-rods J swing freely ,on thejournal K of the hanger.

When no cars are used, and buckets or sacks Y, Figs. 14 and 15, are hooked on and 011' the lower-ends of the suspension-rods, said lower ends should have sufficient weight to retain the arm-(lin a horizontal position even when the sacks are removed.

-\\"hcn ears are employed they should be suspended by rods and hangers in pairs, and jointed in a manner substantially as shown at .1 M, and N, Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7, S, 9, 10, and 11, in order that the ca s may pass readily around the end pulleys or around the sheaves or bear ing-pulleys at any angles in the line.

Figs. 10 and 11 represent an arrangement by which removable cars may be employed.

0 is an inclined bar or beam, attached to the suspension-rods, and having suitable teeth or projections on its upper surface. P is a beam, inclinedto the same angle and rigidly attached to the car, having corresponding teeth or recesses on its under side. The rope carrying the ban gers, rods, and thebar 0 along in the direction of the car, the bar 0 will pass under and engage the bar P, carrying the car It with it.

It is evident that floors 01' tracks can be so arranged as to lift the car off at any desired point, and place it in a position to be engaged again at any other desired point.

The car S has a frame, T, in which is pivoted the dump bucket U. The axle of the bucket U is so situated as to be below and at one side of the center of gravity when the bucket is full, and above the center of gravity when the bucket is empty, so that the bucket will turn on its axle and empty itself when released from the catch V and right itself when empty.

The catch V is attached to the lever W in such a manner that when the car is in motion, if the lever 7 comes in contact with any suitable stop or projection placed for that purpose, the bucket will be released and the weight of the lower end of the lever will cause the catch to re-engage the bucket when it rights itself,

and hold it in its proper position until its return to the place at which it is desirable to deposit the load.

The suspension-rods of the cars, besides swinging freely on the journal K, forming the joint L, are free to turn in the sockets M, forming the joints M.

The horizontal arm X, to which the socket M is attached, is free to oscillate in the frame T, forming the joint N.

As the center of graiity of whatever depends t'rom the arm G will always seek a position in a vertical plane passing through the center of the rope in the hanger, it is necessary to so proportion the parts of the car that the axle of the buckets will always be found in a horizontal position when said center of gravity has attained its said position in said plane.

The construction of the car represented in Figs. 7,8, 9, and 10 is exactly the same in principle as the car represented in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, only the forms of the buckets and frames vary, those of the former being circular and of the latter rectangular.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is V 1. The method herein described of attaching the suspension-rods to the rope, by means of a hanger proceeding or projecting horizon tally from the upper and enter quarter of the rope, in a manner substantially as hereinbefore described, and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The hanger E, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The hanger 11,111 combination with the rods J and (mum 'l, hm'ing thejoints L MN, 01' flmirequivalenfs, substantially as described, and fur the purposes set forth.

4. The dump-car S, constructed and operated substa-ntialiy as described, in combination with the rods J and hanger E substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of N0ve1nber,A. I). 1870.

ANDREW SMITH HALLIDIE.

\Vit-nesses F. J. THIBAULT,

DAVID B. SMITH. 

